On Oct. 18, 2023, climate activist Greta Thunberg was detained and charged by British police after she and others were found protesting outside a London hotel where the Energy Intelligence Forum, an oil and gas conference, was taking place.
The Swedish activist has been working to address the problem of climate change since 2018, founding the movement Fridays for Future, also known as School Strike for Climate, when she was merely 15-years-old.
Since then, Thunberg has received numerous invitations to speak about climate change, including a speech at a UN climate event in New York City which drew particular attention due to her passionate comments.
“You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words…We are in the beginning of a mass extinction, and all you can talk about is money, and fairy tales of eternal economic growth. How dare you!” Thunberg exclaimed.
Thunberg was charged with breaching a section of the Public Order Act that allows police to impose limits on public gatherings. After being brought to the police station, the climate activist was released on bail and is due to appear in court Nov. 15, alongside 10 others.
The police reported a total of 26 people were charged following the protest,
“The protestors were asked to move from the road onto the pavement, which would enable them to continue with their demonstration without breaching the conditions,” the police added.
Video footage from the protest shows Thunberg being escorted to the back of a police van, wearing a badge with the slogan “Oily Money Out” and standing calmly when approached by officers.
This year Thunberg has been detained by police or removed from protests in Sweden, Norway and Germany.
“Why is it us — who are taking action in line with the science to stop the fossil industry — who face legal consequences, when the fossil industry continues to destroy the chance for people to live safe and worthy lives?” the 20-year-old stated outside of court in Sweden, after being removed from a protest.
Greta Thunberg will be attending a hearing at London’s Westminster Magistrates’ Court, as she has inspired a global youth movement demanding efforts to fight climate change and is one of the most influential, if not the most, young activists in the world.
